On 3 October we started on a tour of Transylvania area of Romania with the other senior missionaries in the Romania/Moldova Mission.  Our first stop on the tour was in the city of Sinaia, Romania.  It was the first city in Romania with electricity.

 The city of Sinaia is in the Carpathian Mountains and has a lot of interesting tourist locations to see.

 Along with Elder/Sister Kneib are Elder/Sister Smith from Oregon and Sister Stratton from California.

 Some fall foliage in Sinaia.

 Sister Kneib walking the streets in Sinaia.

 A park in Sinaia in front of a hotel and former hospital.

 Sister Kneib is in front of some painted tree stumps in the park of Sinaia.

A wagon full of blooming geraniums in the park of Sinaia.

 This is a Monastery in Sinaia.

 Inside the church of the monastery in Sinaia are these painted walls and murals.

 The painted ceiling inside the monastery in Sinaia.

 This is the chandelier and altar inside the church at the monastery in Sinaia.

This is the altar inside the chapel of the monastery.

 

 More painted murals inside the chapel.

 Chairs for the priests inside the chapel of the monastery.

 Elder and Sister Kneib at the entrance to the monastery in the city of Sinaia.

 This is outside the main entrance of Peles Castle located in the City of Sinaia.  Peleș Castle (Romanian: Castelul Peleș [kasˈtelul ˈpeleʃ]) is a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, near Sinaia, in Prahova County, Romania, on an existing medieval route linking Transylvania and Wallachia, built between 1873 and 1914. Its inauguration was held in 1883.

 Sala Mare De Arme (The Grand Armory or The Arsenal) is where 1,600 of the 4,000 pieces of weaponry and armor reside. One of Europe's finest collection of hunting and war implements, timelined between 14th and 19th century, are on display. The king added pieces used in his victory against the Ottoman Turks during the War of Independence. Famous are the complete Maximilian armor for horse and rider and a 15th-century German "nobles only" decapitation broadsword. Also on display are a wide array of polearms (glaives, halberds, lances, hunting spears), firearms (muskets, blunderbusses, snaphaunces, flintlocks, pistols), axes, crossbows, and swords (rapiers, sabers, broadswords, and many others).

 These are the pictures of the men who met in this room and who decided the fate of the kingdom at the start of World War I.

 All of the senior couple missionarie in the Romania/Moldova mission.  In front is President and Sister Ivory and their 11-year old son.

 Elder and Sister Kneib at Peles Castle.

King Carol I in front of Peles castle.

 On July 10, We had a ribbon cutting ceremony at Kindergarten #156 in Chisinau.  The ceremony celebrated the completion of a medical room renovation where the Church provided sinks, toilet, faucets, tile, window, doors, ceiling, electrical fixtures, and flooring materials.  The kindergarten provided the labor of installing all of the materials.

 At the ceremony, the children presented a program.

 The program consisted of singing...

 reciting poems....

 and dancing....

 and more dancing.  Some of the girls were dressed in native costume.

 The kindergarten director (in green dress) shows off her new room to a Chisinau board of Education representative.  Elder Kneib looks on.

The kindergarten staff present Elder and Sister Kneib with some mementos and tokens of their appreciation for the assistance in improving the conditions at the kindergarten.

 On August 8, the ambassador of the United States to Moldova, William H. Moser, gave some remarks to those attending a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Gradiste School.

 Elder Kneib also presented some words of wisdom.  The church furnished a freezer, refrigerator and stove with oven to the school.

 The director of Counterpart International, the organization who did the kitchen renovation renovation, also talked.

 The people gather as the three join in cutting the ribbon to the entrance to the kitchen.

 On August 23, 2014, the Chisinau Branch had an activity at Tipova, Moldova where the historic Tipova Monastery is located on the bluff overlooking the Nistru River and Transnistru territory on the other side.

 This is the modern Orthodox church on the top of the bluff.

 This is the sign showing all of the places to visit at the historic site.

 The Orthodox church and the many visitors looking around the pleasant courtyard.

 In front of the church is a very pretty rose garden with statues and monuments.

 Sister Kneib (Arlana) enjoys the pretty roses.

 A pink and yellow rose in with some marigolds.

 A monument in the church courtyard.

 Elder Hammer visits with some of the investigators that came on the trip from Chisinau.

 Other members of the trip enjoying the view atop the bluff over looking the Nistru River.  In the background is Sister Uhl.

 Elders Hammer, Daland, Newburn, and ? get ready for the hike.

 Looking upstream of the Nistru River.

 Looking across the Nistru River at the village of Zazuleni in Transnistru.

 Zazuleni, Transnistru.

 Looking downstream of the Nistru River.

 Sister Kneib and Elder Kneib getting ready to hike the trail down the river bluff.

 Elder Kneib is heading down the trail.

 Elder Kneib is caught in the act of taking pictures of one of many indentations of the limestone bluff.  Below, Elder and Sister Kneib take a break in the shade of a limestone overhang.

 A couple of hundred years ago, monks carved caves into the limestone and created a hidden monastery in the river bank.

 This shows more of the numerous rooms in the side of the river bank limestone.

 This shows more of the trail to the ancient monastery in the side of the river bank.

 This shows some modern renovations to the ancient cave living quarters of the monastery.

 Where the crosses are located are the burial sites of some dead.

 This shows inside one of the rock rooms in the river bank.

 This is another room.

 Sister Kneib investigating a cranny in the rock room.

 This is the plaque saying that this is a medieval monastery that was used between the 15th and 19th centuries.

 Sister Kneib is making way back up the trail to the top of the bluff.

This a typical monument that is common along the roads throughout Moldova.

 Sister Uhl and Sister Bray rest after their trip to see the old monastery down the river bluff.

 Elder and Sister Flanders resting after completing their first week in Moldova.

 A horse-drawn cart coming up the road near Tipova.

 After the hike, a picnic is prepared for everybody that came on the trip from Chisinau.

Along with the fresh fruits and vegetables, sausages are roasted over the open fire pit.  Elder Lex in the striped shirt is helping.  Elder Lex comes from a town in southeastern Austria.   Also turning sausages are Saugus Buniatyan and Victor Ceban.